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Volume 43 • Number 11
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November 2009 / Vol 43 • No 11
EDITORIAL
Presumption of corruption .............................. 27
COVER STORY
Creating hunger in the Philippines—can it be
stopped? ........................................................... 16
ARTICLES
Engaging political leaders in the transformation
of the Philippine Society ................................... 4
The concept of cooperativism ............................ 9
When I say green, you say money! ................. 10
The Scourge of Climate Change ...................... 11
Excerpts of Situationer Report No. 141 .......... 19
Be realistic but not too political ....................... 21
DEPARTMENTS
Quote in the Act ................................................. 2
News Features ................................................... 12
Statements .......................................................... 22
From the Blogs ................................................... 26
From the Inbox .................................................. 28
Book Reviews ..................................................... 29
Entertainment .................................................... 30
Asia Briefng ........................................................ 31
CONTENTS
A
s we clip the fnal touches
of this issue ready for the
press, CBCPNews was
rushing to upload the breaking
news that Gabriel Cañizares,
the Kanague Elementary School
officer-in-charge kidnapped
last October 19 reportedly by
members of the Abu Sayyaf, was
beheaded.
According to early reports,
his head placed in a backpack
was dropped near the police sta-
tion in Jolo, Sulu, while his body
was found near the main gate of
a military camp in Patikul town
early morning of November 9.
Dividing the remains of poor
Cañizares between the military
and the police is a very loud of
statement—even from a very
elementary perspective. While
making dumb out of these well-
budgeted government agencies
is nothing new, hence out of the
question, more serious issues
should be looked into such as the
thriving “industry” of kidnap-
ping which in the past has impli-
cated, at least according to public
perception, men in uniform.
Cañizares was abducted while
on his way to school by fully-
armed militants who later de-
manded a P2 million
ransom, which, obviously,
was not intended to be
feeced from his poor fam-
ily who, like the big ma-
jority of Filipino families,
may not even know to
fgure out how a million
peso looks like.
Kidnapping, like corruption, gam-
bling and politics, is a top grosser in
the Philippines that has been tagged
as the kidnapping capital of the
world. According to media reports
the number of kidnap-for-ransom in-
cidents in the Philippines has doubled
in the frst quarter of 2009. Over the
years, the “industry” of kidnapping
has developed a wide spectrum of
players that include the “small-scale”
or sustenance kidnappers and the
“big-scale” operators that has been
making a folly of the government
more than the ideologues, say the
communists, have done in decades.
The reason why the govern-
ment cannot solve the problem of
kidnapping maybe the same reason
why it cannot ease a dent to illegal
gambling, corruption or the cata-
strophic travails of today. The case
of Fr. Michael Sinnott, an Irish priest
abducted a month ago but still with
the kidnappers till today is a relative
issue in point. But priests and mis-
sionaries understand the hazards
of their work especially in Min-
danao. The misery comes fullest
when kidnapping is about poor
people, like Cañizares, whose
family maybe the victims of the
same breath as the kidnappers
themselves in a complex web of
government inutility.
This issue opens with Lope
Robredillo’s “Engaging political
leaders in the transformation of
the Philippine society” where the
social doctrines of the Catholic
Church become a handy barom-
eter in political advocacy.
Charles Avila pens our cover
story on the impending food
shortage that at the surface seem
to have been brought about by
the recent natural calamities.
On a more serious look, how-
ever, one may fnd out that poor
governance had been itching a
blueprint, consciously or other-
wise, for a hungry generation of
Filipinos. Read on.
IMPACT • November 2009 4
Engaging political leaders in the transformation of the Philippine Society
(or, The Relevance of the Catholic Social Doctrine)
By Msgr. Lope C. Robredillo, SThD
W
hen the Philippine Ambassa-
dor to the Vatican presented
her credentials to the Pope not
so long ago, the Holy Father pointed out
that “the struggle against poverty in the
Philippines calls for honesty, integrity
and unwavering fidelity to the principles
of justice, especially on the part of those
entrusted with positions of governance
and public administration.” Although
the presidential spokesman opined that
this was addressed to those who aspire
for leadership in the coming elections,
commentators took this as an indictment
against the Arroyo administration for
its failure to solve poverty, owing to
the dearth of moral underpinnings in
the exercise of governance. However
this is interpreted, there is no doubt
that, if the Philippine society is really
to be liberated from the shackles of
misery, those in position of governance
have to adhere to moral standards and
principles.
For how explain our transmog-
rification from the most progressive
country in southeast Asia to almost the
most sluggish one, our dubious honor of
being the most corrupt nation in Asia,
our inability to pay the ever burgeoning
national debt of P4.221 trillion in 2008,
our being the sick man in Asia, our be-
ing a nation of maids? Of course, some
observe that the causes of our misery are
greed, corruption, poverty, profligacy,
thievery, lack of job opportunities,
wanton extravagance, insensitivity to
the needs of the poor, etc. Others would
argue that western imperialism, bureau-
crat capitalism and semi-feudalism have
brought us to this quagmire. But all this
takes the symptom for the disease. For
the root of our misery lies in a higher
plane; it consists in the dearth of ethical
foundation and vision in those who ex-
ercise governance. One cannot therefore
overemphasize the need for leaders who
adhere to foundational principles that
guide their policies and actions.

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Volume 43 • Number 11
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Engaging political leaders in the transformation of the Philippine Society
(or, The Relevance of the Catholic Social Doctrine)
out the fundamental moral principles
in social doctrine, the newly published
Compendium of the Social Doctrine of
the Church lists only four: (1) primacy
and dignity of the human person; (2)
common good; (3) solidarity, and (4)
subsidiarity.
In what follows, I would like to relate
these principles to the Philippine soci-
ety in order to help the Christian leader
engaged in the present issues toward its
transformation. This is not, of course, to
say that these are valid only for Christian
leaders. Quite the contrary, they are not
only permanent and universal; they are
also primary and fundamental parameters
of reference to interpret and evaluate so-
cial realities. Even unbelievers can apply
them, because they speak to all people
and to all nations. And their implications,
it will be noted, are far-reaching. What
is important is that, one really seeks the
truth about man and society, and it will
be seen that the four are interconnected
and complement each other. He cannot
use any of them disjoined to the rest,
unless he, to be sure, does it with a bad
conscience.

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IMPACT • November 2009 6
ARTICLES
irrespective of their race and color,
nationality, economic status, sexual
orientation, or achievement in life. The
President of the Philippines does not
have more human dignity that the pedi-
cab driver in Isla Puting Bato. Human
dignity does not reside in the economic
power, political position, gender, social
status of the individual. No one is su-
perior to his fellow men. That dignity
lies in his being an image of God, in his
being a child of God, and in his eternal
destiny. What people acquire, amass or
achieve in life has nothing to do with
it. True development cannot therefore
allow a compartmentalized form of
justice—one for the rich and the power-
ful and another for the poor.
However, it should be emphasized
that the primacy of the human person
must not be seen as a promotion of indi-
vidualism, for inherent in the concept of
the human person is the notion of social
relationship. Man is a social being, who
“recognizes the necessity of integrating
himself in cooperation with his fellow
human beings, and who is capable of
communion with them on the level of
knowledge and love” (Compendium,
149). Lest this be interpreted as an affir-
mation of collectivism, the Compendium
equally emphasizes that the human per-
son cannot “be thought of as a mere cell
of an organism that is inclined at most to
grant it recognition in its functional role
within the overall system” (125). “By the
very force of their nature and by their
internal destiny,” individuals are united
into an “organic, harmonious mutual
relationship” (125).
This relational dimension of the
human person, however, has to be
understood as a corrective to the
overemphasis on the primacy of the
individual. The realization of man’s
human dignity is always in the context
of the community. “Together with
equality in the recognition of the dig-
nity of each person and of every people
there must also be an awareness that
it will be possible to safeguard and
promote human dignity only if this is
done as a community, by the whole
humanity” (145). One cannot therefore
merely regard the human person as an
independent being, separate from oth-
ers. Consequently, if a leader wishes
to promote human dignity among
Filipinos, it cannot therefore be just
the work of a few; it would take the
collective effort of both rich and poor,
a work that would entail the elimination
of the gross disparity and inequality
between them.

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IMPACT • November 2009 8
mahirap, but when he abruptly ended
his term, the poor were more numerous
than ever. The promise that relatives
and friends would have no place in his
dispensation was just that—a promise,
for his bank accounts never showed that
the hopeless were his beneficiaries.
Truth is, the principle of the univer-
sal destination of common good and that
of the preferential option for the poor
can be translated into realities only if
they are matched by a recognition of
the participation of all at the level of
political decision. As things stand, it
remains a figment of the imagination,
for who makes political decisions? The
challenge of future leaders could be
daunting. Is there any presidentiable
who is capable of betraying the inter-
est of his social class? The present
set-up of the executive and legislative
branches of the government are oc-
cupied largely by the rich and by those
who in politics became rich, and one
wonders whether they are prepared to
give up their privileges. If the history
of land reform law has anything to tell
us, it is that the privileged class is not
yet ready to give up its advantages to
really lift the poor from wretchedness.
Indeed, there is no evidence that the
lot of the poor has improved since the
birth of the Philippine republic. Since
those elected eventually become part of
the privileged class, one hardly expects
that what will be distributed to the poor
really go beyond noodles, canned goods,
rice and PhilHealth cards.

(To be continued next issue)
Engaging political leaders in the transformation of the Philippine Society
I
nomic structure that more often than
not favors the moneyed. This has to
be asked because “the universal des-
tination of goods entails obligations
on how goods are to be used by their
legitimate owners. Individual persons
may not use their resources without
considering the effects that this use will
have; rather they must act in a way that
benefits not only themselves and their
families, but also the common good”
(Compendium, 178).
Clearly, then, the right to private
property is not absolute. Indeed, Chris-
tian tradition has never recognized
that right as untouchable. According
to John Paul II, in Laborem excercens,
this tradition has “always understood the
right within the broader context of the
right common to all to use the goods of
the whole creation; the right to private
property is subordinated to the right to
common use, to the fact that goods are
meant for everyone” (84). But will the
rich part with their riches? One might
be asking for the moon. But it is well to
remind them of the words of St. Ambrose
in De Nabuthe that Paul VI quotes in
Populorum progressio: “You are not
making a gift of your possessions to
the poor person. You are handing over
to him what is his. For what has been
given in common for the use of all, you
have arrogated to yourself. The world is
given to all, and not only to the rich.”
In view of this, one wonders wheth-
er those in governance would be willing
to extirpate greed and sever themselves
from their wealth, instead of trying to
accumulate more of it. Truth is, even
public office is treated as private prop-
erty—politicians perpetuate themselves
in office through dynasty, as if they had
the exclusive claim to it. Today, it is
often told that the country needs leaders
who can be trusted. Of course, that is
correct. Filipinos hardly need a leader
who is a liar, profligate, wanton, greedy,
violator of human rights, self-serving,
ambitious, tyrannical, and overween-
ing. The nation looks for a leader who
could talk about “an economic vision
inspired by moral values that permit
people not to lose sight of the origin
or purpose of goods so as to bring
about a world of fairness and solidarity
(Compendium, 174).” And of course
he can walk the talk. Since he himself
is part of the oligarchy, he should be
able to make his own life a showcase
of how a politician can contribute to the
common good. He can do this not by
siding with the landed gentry and the
aristocracy, but by opting for the poor
and the oppressed.

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By Gemma Marin
I
have always been interested in the concept of cooperativ-
ism. It combines the seemingly odd pair of business and
social development which is my academic background in
college and graduate studies. My graduate thesis of decades
ago compared two pre-cooperatives or the so-called “samah-
ang nayon” to bring out the factors that would spell for the
success of running such an organization. I really rooted for
the success of cooperatives because I have always thought
that amidst the many unfair or uneven circumstances in life,
cooperativism offers an opportunity of fairness and a sense
of unity for the people. To borrow the definition of a coop-
erative by the Cooperative Development Authority:
“A cooperative is an autonomous and duly registered
association of persons, with a common bond of interest,
who have voluntarily joined together to achieve their social,
economic and cultural needs and aspirations by making
equitable contributions to the capital required, patronizing
their products and services and accepting a fair share of
risks and benefits of the undertaking in accordance with the
universally accepted cooperative principles.”
It brings together people of the same interest or with
the same cause, and creates a spirit of community among
the members. Membership is voluntary, not coerced, and
is open to everyone regardless of race, religion or political
affiliations. The cooperative organization is an independent
formation and run in a democratic way with members have
equal voting rights on a one-member, one-vote principle.
Members actively participate in the economic or business
affairs of the cooperative, and benefit in proportion to their
transactions.
The concept of
cooperativism
Latest data from the Cooperative
Development Authority (CDA) show that
a total of 2,056 were newly registered
cooperatives from January to December
2006. Among the single-purpose co-
ops, credit cooperatives belonged to
the biggest group at 115, compared to
consumer (34), producer (46), market-
ing (18) and service (64) cooperatives.
Credit cooperatives have always been
observed to take the biggest slice among
the single-purpose co-ops because of the
constant need for capital of individual
members, small capital requirements on
the part of the cooperative organization to
embark on the business, and the conduct
of simple transactions (until delinquent
accounts pile up, and the co-op is faced
with huge collection problems).
In response to the various needs of
members, many cooperatives expand
in a matter of time to engage in another
business endeavor which is usually trading of consumer
items, hence converting the same co-op into a multi-purpose
cooperative (MPC). As of the same period of January to
December 2006, CDA reported 699 multi-purpose agricul-
tural and 1,074 multi-purpose non-agricultural cooperatives,
comprising the bulk at 34% and 52% of newly registered
co-ops, respectively.
The need for capital of member-individuals and coopera-
tives is indeed one of the foremost concerns of the National
Confederation of Cooperatives (NATCCO). Established in
1977 primarily to provide co-op education to its members,
it has progressed through the years to now offer a sophis-
ticated range of financial and non-financial services to its
network members. As a financial service provider, it provides
wholesale lending to cooperatives and enhanced its money
transfer services. Its financial products include credit cards,
debit cards, fund management of the coop’s surplus funds,
microfinance (which they call Microfinance Innovations in
Cooperatives or MICOOP) and micro-insurance.
For its non-financial services, training and consultancy
has been the network’s core business development service
aimed at professionalizing and enhancing the knowledge
and skills of its primaries. It also engages in corn and sugar
marketing, established a coop mart, offers opportunities for
settlements under its housing coop, and ventured into travel
and tours operations, among many others.
Over and above the aforementioned services already
offered for co-ops, there is still a call for cooperatives to
galvanize their efforts and to unite even more for the good
of their individual members, their organization and the com-
munity to which it belongs. In the past and perhaps until
ARTICLES
Cooperativism, page 12
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IMPACT • November 2009 12
NEWS
FEATURES
MANILA, Nov. 1, 2009—The Superior of kidnapped mis-
sionary priest Fr. Michael Sinnott said the congregation
of the Missionary Society of St. Columban “does not pay
ransom”.
Fr. Patrick O’ Donoghue, major superior of Columbans
in the Philippines made the
statement a day after a lo-
cal television station aired
a video footage with Fr. Mi-
chael Sinnott saying he is be-
ing held by one Commander
Abu Jayad, and asked for $2
million ransom.
I n a s t a t e me n t ,
O‘Donoghue said he has seen
the video from Fr. Sinnott’s
abductors and expressed sat-
isfaction in knowing “that he
is alive and that he has some
of his medications.”
However, the superior
said the video “is now eight
days old” and the “past week
has been very wet here in
Mindanao and living in the
conditions that he described
can only have had an adverse
effect on [Fr. Mick’s] fragile
health.”
“I hope that he continues
to be well,” O’Donoghue
added.
The priest said as per
policy of his congregation he
believed that ransom “should
not be paid.”
“Fr. Mick was unjustly and harshly taken from his home
three weeks ago today,” he noted.
O’Donoghue reiterated his call on all people of goodwill,
“who may have ways of influencing those who are still hold-
ing Fr. Mick, to continue their efforts to enable the abductors
to see that the best and simplest way forward is for them to
now release Fr. Sinnott without further delay.”
He concluded his statement saying “On this All Saints’
Day, let us unite our prayers with them that the hearts of the
abductors will be open to compassion and fairness.”

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Creating hunger in the Philippines
—can it be stopped?
Creating hunger in the Philippines
—can it be stopped?
Record volumes of rice importation had reached 2.3 million MTs last
year, enabling us to keep our dubious distinction of being the biggest
rice importer in the world.
COVER
STORY
IMPACT • November 2009 18
COVER
STORY
tion, poverty in rural areas and lack of
sound agriculture policies by nations as
the biggest threats to food security.
Declining agriculture labor force
is also slowing down food production.
More and more rural folk move to cities
for better paying jobs. This is already
happening in the Philippines where the
exodus of rural folk to the cities has been
unprecedented, lured by job prospects
not only in local cities but also overseas,
leaving their farms for more promising
frms.
Confdent that developing nations
will continue to produce food for them,
highly developed countries also convert
lands to urban and industrial zones with
the enticement of profts much greater
than what agriculture can offer.
Or, alternatively, they go for the big
land grab. More than 20 million hectares
of farmland in the Third World countries
of Africa, Latin America and Asia are
now held by foreign governments and
companies. Rich countries with not
enough land think they could always
buy their way into their poor neighbor’s
properties.
Earlier this year, for instance, Presi-
dent Arroyo warmly announced that
China was interested in leasing 1.2
million hectares of land in our country!
She had also said late last year that her
government would explore the idea of
leasing at least 100,000 hectares of ag-
ricultural land to the emirate in Qatar.
The Philippine Agricultural Develop-
ment and Commercial Corp. (PADCC),
a government corporation attached to
the Department of Agriculture, has been
tasked with identifying suitable lands for
agribusiness development and assist-
ing prospective investors who are keen
on forging “the right deals” with local
groups and companies.
Thus, only lately there were reports
that a company from South Korea had
leased 94,000 hectares of farmland in
Mindoro for 25 years to grow 10,000
tons of corn a year for feed production
and another 60,000 hectares were given
over to the Pacifc Bio-Fields Corp. of
Japan.
One can’t blame farmer leaders
who say that before we know it, we may
already have been taken over by other
nations. These leaders may have heard
the recent public announcement by the
US Department of Agriculture (USDA)
that over 20 agribusiness frms had met
with nearly 200 Philippine companies to
form partnerships and joint ventures in
fsheries, biofuels, processed goods, meat
and poultry, dairy products, etc.
In the wake of recent typhoons, it
is these farmer leaders who feel more
urgently the need to ensure adequate land
for food production, and to slow down on
setting aside more hectares of agricultural
land for use of foreign agro-corporations.
Anyway, this kind of practice might be
quite illegal in the frst place.
The DAR and similar agencies can’t
even be sure, conveniently, how many
thousands upon thousands of hectares
have been converted over the past 22
years for uses other than food produc-
tion. Since the 1990s, farm area planted
to palay shrunk by more than 87,000
hectares while that of corn was reduced
by almost 300,000 hectares. Can anyone
deny that such decrease in farm area had
to spell both massive displacement of
Filipino farmers and dramatic decline
in domestic food production?
The violent typhoons that recently hit
us had the tendency also for going after
Vietnam and Thailand, where we import
most of our rice. One could not help but
ask: how greatly was those countries’ rice
harvest reduced? Can they still sell us rice,
and at what steep price? To which another
countered: what about a widespread El
Nino, which, for all we know, is just
lurking around, waiting for the typhoons
to leave? If it hits Vietnam and Thailand
and the Philippines, all at the same time,
which is not at all unlikely, where do we
buy rice and at what steep price?

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Creating hunger in the Philippines—can it be stopped?
production when we engage in the global
market game without frst strengthening
our own domestic players.
It may soon become harder and
harder to deny that authoritarian Phil-
ippines followed a more patriotic line
on food policy than subsequent liberal
democratic administrations. Of many ac-
cusations hurled against the authoritarian
regime, one thing it could not be accused
of is starving the agricultural sector. If
only to head off peasant discontent, the
authoritarian regime provided farmers
with subsidized fertilizer and seeds,
launched credit plans and built rural
infrastructure. Following the common
sense policy of rice self-suffciency, it did
not have to import rice; it even achieved
Update on damage to agriculture due to Tropical Storm
“Ondoy”
T
he value of damage due to Ondoy stood at P6.7 B
as of 10/15/09. Affected were 203,477 hectares of
croplands in 34 provinces located in all Luzon’s 7
region. Lost were 329,524 MT of crops consisting of rice,
corn, and high value commercial crops; fshery products,
livestock/poultry; and facilities for irrigation, fshery and
livestock/poultry production.
Rice (R I, II, III, IVA, IVB, V, CAR)—affected were
196,519 hectares standing rice crops where 40,480 hectares
were completely damaged. Deemed lost was 299,945 MT of
palay from 184,316 hectares in reproductive/maturity stage.
The total value of loss is P5.2 B consisting of P5.1 B from
lost produce and P71 M from lost investment of farmers.
Corn (R I, II, III, IVB, V)—affected were 3,659 hectares
where 1,100 hectares have no chance to recover. Lost was
3,820 MT corn grains from the 2,828 hectares in reproduc-
tive/maturity stage. The value of damage amounts to P57
M where P50 M is from lost corn harvest and P7 M from
lost investments of farmers.
HVCC (CAR, I, II, IVA, IVB, V)—3,299 hectares were
affected resulting to a loss of 25,759 MT HVCC consisting
of mostly vegetables, mango, banana, and papaya, all
worth P257 M.
Fisheries (R III, IVA, IVB)—8,358 hectares of fshponds
with milkfsh/tilapia/prawn, fsh cages and seaweed farms were
affected resulting to a loss to the sector of P176 M. Moreover,
facilities/equipment such as boats, gillnets, fsh traps, squid
jiggers, etc., worth around P17.2 M were destroyed.
Livestock/Poultry (R III, IVA)—the sector lost a total
of 43 M with the death or loss of livestock (cattle, carabaos,
horse, swine, and sheep) and poultry. In addition facilities
like poultry, pig pens worth P1.4 M were destroyed.
Irrigation Facilities (CAR, II, III, IVA)—damaged ir-
rigation facilities amounts to P952 M with service area of
53, 486 hectares.
Update on damage to agriculture due to Typhoon
Pepeng
Pepeng affected 410,641 hectares of croplands and
caused the loss of 1,036,955 MT of rice, corn and high value
commercial crops. The total value of loss amounts to about
P19.3 B (P17,5 B from production losses from crops and
livestock/poultry and P1.8 B from damaged facilities)
Rice (R I, II, III, V, CAR)—from the affected area of
367,901 hectares, 110,187 hectares were completely dam-
aged. Deemed lost was 8740,215 MT of palay from 349,494
that were reproductive or maturity stages. Total value of loss
Excerpts of Situationer Report No. 141
Department of Agriculture Central Action Center
October 15, 2009
amounts to P14.4 B consisting of P14.3B worth of lost palay
and P0.1 B cost investment of farmers. Losses were recorded
from 21 provinces (all provinces of Cordillera, Cagayan Valley
and Central Luzon), 3 provinces of Ilocos, and 2 in Bicol.
Corn (R I, II, III, V, CAR)—affected were 21,540 hect-
ares corn area where 8,892 hectares will not be able to
recover. Lost was 42,718 MT corn grains from the 19,261
MT crops in reproductive/maturity stages. The value of
damage amounts to P578 M. The losses came from 10
provinces of 5 regions.
HVCC (CAR, I, II, V)—20,253 hectares were affected
resulting to a loss of 153,791 MT HVCC consisting mostly
of vegetables, bananas, mango and other fruit trees, all
worth P2 B.
Abaca (R V)—947 hectares from Catanduanes were
affected resulting to a loss of 231 MT of abaca fber valued
at P 5M.
Livestock/Poultry (R I, III, CAR)—farm animals con-
sisting of livestock (cattle, carabaos, goat, swine, sheep) and
poultry, all values at P13 M were reported dead or lost.
Irrigation facilities (R I, II, III, IVA, IVB, V, CAR)—the
National Irrigation Administration (NIA) reported damaged
Communal Irrigation System (CIS)/National Irrigation Sys-
tem (NIS) which were damaged at a cost of P1.8 B. Said
irrigation facilities have a service area of 178,180 hectares
of croplands.
Impact of rice and corn production targets in the 4
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IMPACT • November 2009 22
STATEMENTS
M
r. Jacques Diouf,
If the celebration of World
Food Day recalls the founda-
tion of the FAO and its action in the
fight against hunger and malnutrition
in the world, it stresses above all the
urgent need for interventions on behalf
of all who are without daily bread, in so
many countries, because of inadequate
food security.
The actual crisis that is hitting
all sectors of the economy without
distinction is particularly harshly af-
fecting the world of farming, whose
situation is becoming dramatic. This
crisis demands that Governments and
the different elements of the Interna-
tional Community make decisive and
effective decisions.
To guarantee people and peoples
the possibility of overcoming the
scourge of hunger is to assure them
concrete access to adequate, healthy
food. Indeed, this is a practical ex-
pression of the right to life which,
although it is solemnly proclaimed,
all too often remains far from being
implemented fully.
The theme chosen by the FAO
for World Food Day is: "Achieving
food security in times of crisis". It is
an invitation to consider agricultural
work as a fundamental element of food
security and consequently as fully part
of economic activity. For this reason,
farming must have access to adequate
investments and resources. This topic
calls into question and makes clear that
by their nature the goods of creation are
limited: they therefore require respon-
sible attitudes capable of encourag-
ing the sought-after security, thinking
likewise of that of future generations.
Thus profound solidarity and farsighted
brotherhood are essential.
The realization of these objectives
entails a necessary change in lifestyle
and mindsets. It obliges the interna-
tional community and its institutions
to intervene in a more appropriate and
forceful way. I hope that such an in-
tervention may encourage cooperation
with a view to protecting the methods
of cultivating the land proper to each
‘Achieving Food Security in Times of Crisis’
Message of His Holiness Benedict XVI to Mr. Jacques Diouf,
Director General of FAO, on the occasion of World Food Day 2009
region and to avoiding a heedless use
of natural resources. I also hope that
this cooperation will preserve the val-
ues proper to the rural world and the
fundamental rights of those who work
the land. By setting aside privileges,
profit and convenience, it will then be
possible to achieve these objectives for
the benefit of the men, women, children,
families and communities that live in
the poorest regions of the planet and are
the most vulnerable. Experience shows
that even advanced technical solutions
lack efficiency if they do not put the
person first and foremost, who comes
first and who, in his or her spiritual and
physical dimensions, is the alpha and
the omega of all activity.
Rather than an elementary need,
access to food is a fundamental right
of people and peoples. It will therefore
become a reality, hence a security, if
adequate development is guaranteed
in all the different regions. The drama
of hunger in particular can only be
overcome by "eliminating the structural
causes that give rise to it and promot-
ing the agricultural development of
the poorer countries. This can be done
by investing in rural infrastructures,
irrigation systems, transport, organi-
zation of markets, and in the develop-
ment and dissemination of appropriate
agricultural technology that can make
the best use of the human, natural and
socio-economic resources that are more
readily available at the local level"
(Caritas in Veritate, n. 27).
Faithful to her vocation to be close
to the most deprived, the Catholic
Church promotes, sustains and par-
ticipates in the efforts made to enable
each people and each community to
have access to the necessary means to
guarantee an appropriate level of food
security.
In expressing these wishes, I renew
to you, Mr Director-General, the expres-
sion of my high esteem and I invoke an
abundance of divine Blessings upon the
FAO, upon the Member States and upon
all the personnel.
From the Vatican, 16 October
2009
BENEDICTUS PP. XVI
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Volume 43 • Number 11
29
The Ways of Peace
God-Tales for Young and Old
Nil Guillemette
Stories are effective ways of driving home the truth, merely because “stories speak to the heart
rather than to the mind”. In this 23rd volume of his collection of God-tales, storyteller Nil Guil-
lemette once again dishes out his masterful stroke of nailing down the message through his
uplifting stories. Sure to fre up one’s imagination, these parables are also certain to touch the
hearts of readers and infame them with the desire to become effective instruments of God’s
love. A member of the Society of Jesus, Guillemette has spent more than 30 years teaching New
Testament in Vietnam, West Africa and the Philippines. Aside
from his collection of God-tales, he has also written books
on Scriptures. He was a recipient of a Lifetime Achievement
Award from the Catholic Mass Media Awards in 2007. This
book is published by St. Pauls.
Don’t Worry, Be Happy
7 Secrets to Achieve Your Dreams and Enjoy
Great Happiness Today
Bo Sanchez
As a people, Filipinos can always fnd something to laugh at on almost anything and manage to
smile even in the midst of suffering. Because of this attitude Filipinos have always rank high in
surveys of “happy people in the world”. In this book published by Shepherd Voice publications,
best-selling writer and preacher Bo Sanchez says the seven secrets of happiness are really
seven manifestations of love; and for someone who already possesses these secrets, there is no
need to look for happiness, it is happiness that will come looking for the person. With his inspiring
anecdotes Sanchez dares readers to put behind their personal fears and inhibitions, open their
hearts to God’s wisdom and inspiration, and allow God to have a free reign in their lives.
Called to Love
Carl Anderson and Fr. Jose Granados
In today’s society, a narcissistic obsession on keeping one’s body young, beautiful and pleasur-
able to both eyes and touch, is apparent with the proliferation of body clinics that promise to
transform one’s physical appearance into an instant masterpiece of art. This attitude is quite the
opposite of the Manichean and Puritan mentality that characterized society in the early centuries,
where the human body was not suffciently valued and its sexual dimension repressed. Writing
from the perspective of Pope John Paul II’s “theology of the body”, the authors present the es-
sential elements of John Paul’s writings in the framework of Benedict XVI’s “theology of love”.
While underscoring its social dimension, they also highlight “its connection with the patristic and
theological tradition of the Church.” Commenting on the merits of the book, the archbishop of
Denver says it is a persuasive refection on the ‘theology of the body’ and the meaning of human
love and sexuality in the present culture that increasingly devalues human life.
book
Reviews
John Paul II
My Beloved Predecessor
Elio Guerriero, Editor
This book is a collection of essays on Pope John Paul II written by Pope Benedict XVI before
and after his election to the pontifcate. As prefect of the Congregation for the Doctrine of the
Faith, Benedict XVI had worked and collaborated very closely with John Paul II. Undoubtedly
this collection of writings is a statement to the close relationship that existed between the two
popes. Vatican analyst John Allen Jr., himself a writer of two books on Benedict, said in the
foreword: “These two men were gripped by the same truth—or, better expressed, the same
Truth, in the person of Jesus Christ, and in the company of the Church. That two such distinct
personalities could work so closely together for so long, without any of the rivalries and power
dynamics that typically accompany such partnerships, says much about the selfessness of
both.” The book is divided into two parts with four chapters
each. Part 1 includes an insightful tribute by then Cardinal
Ratzinger of John Paul II’s 20th anniversary of pontifcate,
and his homily during the pope’s funeral mass. This volume
is published by Paulines Publishing House.
IMPACT • November 2009 30
ENTERTAINMENT
CATHOLIC INITIATIVE FOR
ENLIGHTENED MOVIE APPRECIATION
I
n 500 Days of Summer, Tom (Joseph Gordon-Levitt) is
an architect too timid to pursue his career, so he’d rather
be a writer of greeting cards. Summer (Zooey Deschanel)
begins work as the new assistant to Tom’s boss. He is smit-
ten the moment he spots the pert Summer walking down the
offce on her frst day of work, unaware she’s being noticed.
Tom’s chemistry doesn’t remain one-way for long, as Sum-
mer notices and likes his looks, so one day she makes her
move over the copying machine. In no time at all he falls in
love with her, but while she has let him deep into her world,
sees no one else but him, and says she is perfectly happy
with their relationship, she wants nothing permanent—only
to enjoy her life and her youth. Summer’s apparently casual
attitude towards love baffes and then frustrates Tom. Some-
time around the middle of 500 days serious trouble begins
which later on leads to a break up. But Tom wouldn’t fall
out of love and is in fact determined to get her back.
500 Days of Summer opens on Day 488 and then jumps
back and forth, with each episode annotated and marked
as “Day…” It is an ingenuous approach to telling a story
that allows an incisive look into how love relationships “go
wrong”. Billed as a “romantic comedy” this one is anything
but light and laughable. In fact, through the recollection of
events in a non-linear fashion, the viewer is enabled to seri-
ously analyze how a past event affects and effects a present
malady—something which involves the viewer in the charac-
ters’ lives. By Day 500 it becomes clear why things turn out
the way they do, and we can only hope the characters in the
story see it as clearly as we do. Screenwriters Scott Neustadter
and Michael H. Weber certainly show a good grip on a love
affair’s twists and turns, which good actors Deschanel and
Gordon-Levitt give justice to. The combination of those
factors must have delighted director Marc Webb.
500 Days of Summer is a movie that begins by telling
us how the love story will end and is about how clueless
the lover is till the end. MTRCB rates it PG 13—CINEMA
would be inclined to label it an adult flm, due to its attempt
to treat the theme deeply. The presence of a pre-adolescent
girl as a “love adviser” to an older man doesn’t make it
innocent or acceptable. Sex is a given here (and in fact is
the main factor in the attraction between the lovers)—and,
like an airborne virus, is not a good thing for young people
to “catch”. There is a big lesson here about the need to be
attentive to signs and signals, especially where it concerns
emotions. People like to see what they want to see when it
comes to love, and that is what 500 Days of Summer tries
to say. Things and people are not always what they seem:
while some people may be easy to read, others may be the
opposite of the image they project. People hide behind masks
without even being aware of it. Experience tries to teach us,
but does experience season us? Perhaps the hero here will
know after 100 days of .. uh…autumn?
Cast: Joseph Gordon-Levitt, Zooey Deschanel, Geoffrey Arend,
Chloe Moretz, Matthew Gray Gubler
Director: Marc Webb
Producers: Mason Novick, Jessica Tuchinsky, Mark Waters, Ste-
ven J. Wolfe
Screenwriters: Scott Neustadter, Michael H. Weber
Music: Mychael Danna, Ron Simonsen
Editor: Alan Edward Bell
Genre: Comedy/ Drama/ Romance
Cinematography: Eric Steelberg
Distributor: Fox Searchlight Pictures
Location: Los Angeles, USA
Running Time: 95 mins.
Technical Assessment: 
Moral Assessment: ½
CINEMA Rating: For mature viewers 18 and above.
Volume 43 • Number 11
31
ASIA
BRIEFING
EAST TIMOR
Horta may seek oil spill
compensation
East Timor President
Jose Ramos Horta said
he will be looking for com-
pensation from Australia for
any pollution caused by an
oil spill from the West Atlas
rig, leaking 400 barrels of oil
a day for two months into
the Timor Sea before being
plugged recently.
JAPAN
Japanese Airline cuts
fights
As part of an overhaul
aimed at keeping the airline
operational despite grow-
ing losses, Japan Airlines,
Asia’s biggest carrier, will
cut 16 more routes, includ-
ing 8 international routes by
January, affecting dozens
of fights. The result will be
a total of 61 fewer round-
trip international passenger
fights a week.
AFGHANISTAN
UN removes staff from
Afghanistan
Following the killing of 5
UN workers on Oct. 28 in an
attack on an international
guest house in the Capital
Kabul, the UN will evacuate
its entire non-essential for-
eign staff from Afghanistan
due to the deteriorating
security situation. Around
600 non-Afghan staff will
be evacuated. But the UN
stressed it’s not pullout or
reduction of operations but
for safety of UN personnel
living in Afghanistan.
BURMA
US leaders meet Suu
Kyi
Kurt Campbell, the US
Assistant Secretary of State
for East Asia, has met Bur-
ma’s detained democracy
icon, Aung San Suu Kyi, as
part of Washington’s visit to
isolated, army ruled country
for 14 years. Suu Kyi was
granted temporary release
from house detention to at-
tend talks with ranking US
leader on Nov. 4.
THAILAND
Islamic rebels behind
killings— police
Authorities here suspect
Islamic rebels were behind
the shooting of fve people
dead during a spate of
attacks across Thailand’s
mainly-Muslim south. Al-
most four thousand people
have died in the confict
since the insurgency fared
up again in 2004, but au-
thorities said motives of the
attacks are still unclear.
N. KOREA
Pyongyang back on
nuke trail
The communist regime
here has produced more
plutonium which can be
used to make nuclear
bombs. The communist na-
tion has successfully repro-
cessed 8,000 nuclear fuel
rods into weapons-grade
plutonium. Experts believe
that could be enough to
make one or two nuclear
bombs. Pyongyang last
conducted an atomic weap-
ons test six months ago,
sparking international con-
demnation.
NEPAL
Nepal cabinet goes to
Everest
Government ministers
here revealed plans to meet
at the base camp of Mount
Everest this month to high-
light the impact of global
warming on the Himalayas.
The meeting comes ahead
of next month’s Copenha-
gen climate change talks
in Nepal which is home to
eight of the world’s 14 tallest
peaks. Experts say it is vul-
nerable to climate change
despite being among the
world's lowest greenhouse
gas emitters.
PHILIPPINES
Fi re razes houses,
kills 14
A fre razed almost a
block of houses in a village
in Bacolod City, killing 14
people in the evening of
Nov. 1. Boarding houses
were among the 51 hous-
es, most made of wood,
that were burnt down and
four children were among
those killed. Authorities
said an electrical short-
circuit may have caused
the blaze.
PAKISTAN
Suicide bomber kills
34
A suicide bomber on
a motorbike has killed 34
people and wounded more
than 24 in Pakistan’s gar-
rison city of Rawalpindi,
authorities said. The bomb-
er attacked a queue of
people collecting salaries
near a four-star hotel. The
blast destroyed part of the
Shalimar Hotel in an up
market shopping district of
the city.
HONG KONG
2 foreigners dead in HK
ferry crash
Two foreigners were
killed when a high-speed
ferry from Hong Kong to
Guangzhou in China col-
lided with another ship.
One of the fatalities was a
Dutch citizen. Eight people
were injured. The double-
decker ferry was close to
its destination in Guang-
zhou's southern Panyu dis-
trict when it struck a sand
transport vessel.
IRAN
Revoke death sen-
tences for juvenile
offenders
Iran should halt the
planned executions of
three men under charges
of male homosexual con-
duct allegedly committed
when they were children,
Human Rights Watch said.
Mehdi P., from Tabriz;
Moshen G., from Shiraz;
and Nemat Safavi, from
Ardebil, were accused in
separate cases of com-
mitting homosexual acts
when they were under age
18. No date has been set
for their execution yet, but
the lawyer representing
two of the men fears that it
could happen any day.